Mizeur is shaking up the governor race

Kevin Rector, The Baltimore Sun

A lot of people are talking about the 2014 race for governor today -- nothing like a few big announcements to stir the pot -- so I figured I'd take the opportunity to bring up the big LGBT storyline in the race.

That is to say, Del. Heather Mizeur's expected candidacy.

The out lesbian from Montgomery County is expected to run for Gov. Martin O'Malley's seat and has said she plans to make an announcement about her future in politics this summer.

She stands with Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown and Attorney General Doug Gansler in the Democratic lineup of presumed hopefuls who people are talking about, and her campaign has framed her candidacy in very clear terms.

"Picture it," read one recent email from the Friends of Heather Mizeur campaign. "The first female governor of the state of Maryland and the first openly LGBT governor -- this is no daydream."

Todd Eberly, a professor of political science at St. Mary's College of Maryland, is quoted as saying that a big question for Gansler at the moment is how to get Mizeur out of the race.

As a woman and a lesbian, Mizeur could be appealing to voters who might otherwise back her rivals. She's essentially been campaigning across the state. And she has said she has no interest in being anyone's running mate.

Gay voters aren't single-issue voters and fall across the political spectrum, but Mizeur could be seen as the LGBT community's rep in the race.

While this isn't an endorsement -- I won't be making any here on Gay Matters -- I think it's cool to see an openly lesbian candidate consider a run for the state's top seat and be taken entirely seriously.